Target

[NPM Voice Talent] Support for NPR and the following message come from our sponsor: Target. Entrepreneur Ray Phillips had a great idea – and when he partnered with Target Supplier Diversity Lead Mike Alexander, he was able to grow his company with Target’s help: [Ray] The idea for SoapSox came as I worked as a program director for residential treatment facility for children. There was a nine year boy who’d refused to bathe because he couldn’t take his favorite stuffed animal with them in the bathtub. I grabbed another stuffed animal, modified it to hold soap, and lo and behold, it solved the problem. [Mike] My son, we had the hippo and every time he took a bath, this was, you know, his sidekick that he took to the tub with him. It made me feel even more comfortable with my recommendation, my support, as well as the love that I have for the brand. [NPM Voice Talent] Learn more about how Target supports diverse entrepreneurs at target.com/founderswelove.

[NPM Voice Talent] The following message comes from our sponsor, Target, whose Target Incubator program aims to empower the next generation of innovators to help create a better tomorrow. Like Kaitlin Mogentale, who founded Pulp Pantry, a company that aims to turn vegetable pulp into healthy, delicious snacks. [Kaitlin]
The Target Incubator really empowered me to look at what we were doing and really embrace the niche. Target really showed me that if we lean into what makes us different, what makes us special, we’re going to resonate with consumers who feel the same way and are moving in the same direction. I think the whimsy and the trendiness that Target exhibits is directly in line with also what Pulp Pantry is trying to do, by taking nostalgic childhood snacks like cereal and like chips and continuing to keep the fun that’s embedded in those snack products, but also integrating these values of health and sustainability. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more about Target Incubator go to targetaccelerators.com/incubator.

[NPM Voice Talent] Support for this podcast and the following message come from Target. Dominique Mueller is the Design Director for Target’s Pillowfort sensory-friendly home collection, a brand that believes every kid should feel comfortable and confident. [Dominique] We’ve heard tremendous feedback. Everything from how the weighted plush has made a difference in kids being able to sleep better. The parents were emotional. They were very touched. They could not believe that Target’s design team was so thoughtful in designing something specific for their child. And the kids were they were over the moon. The ability to give back something that can ignite so much joy for somebody is very, very important to me. Just understanding that you’re touching the lives, not just in this aesthetic way, but that comfort, that environment you’re creating, that sense of security, It’s a huge sense of accomplishment. It makes me think “What else can we create?” [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more, go to target.com/roomforall.

[NPM Voice Talent] Support for this podcast and the following message come from Target. Marlena Stell is the CEO of cosmetics company Makeup Geek, which partners with Target to provide inclusive products for different skin tones, eye colors, and budgets. [Marlena] Makeup Geek from the beginning was always trying to be super inclusive. Whether that be different eye colors, different skin colors — from porcelain to deep — different price points…so everyone could find something that they loved and worked for them. After we launched with Target, I think about a month in, and I was able to go see the product in person and just interact with their team and they were just so good to us and I thought, “Wow, they really are after the same thing. They want the inclusivity, wanting people to feel like they belong.” We don’t just want to sell them things, we want to educate them and have them part of a community. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more about how Target embraces and celebrates an inclusive beauty community, visit target.com/beautyforall.

[NPM Voice Talent] Support for this podcast and the following message come from Target. Alisa Juarez from Target’s corporate responsibility team worked with high schoolers in Miami on a project to mitigate the effects of sea level rise in their communities: [Alisa] I look at students and I can see how they’re thinking about these issues in very real ways. They wanna be part of the solution and it makes me very hopeful in the future of this city. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more about Target’s community partnerships and initiatives, visit target.com/futureatatheart.

[NPM Voice Talent] The following message comes from our sponsor Target. Mary is a designer for Target’s line of adaptive clothing for kids. Mary and her collaborator Chris, believe clothes for kids who require complex care should look like everything else on the rack. [Chris] That’s our number one goal. [Mary] And that’s what I love about it — is that the intention is all about making it functional and fitting in, so all the sudden, kids are just kids. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more about Target’s Cat and Jack adaptive clothing story, visit target.com/futureatheart.